Transfer arm



C. G. MILLER Nov. 17, 1936.

TRANSFER ARM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 25, 1934 C. G. MILLER TRANSFER ARM Nov.v 17, 1936.

Original Filed Oct. 25, 1954 CONSTANTINE'G'. MILLER,

Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNiTED STATES PATENT GFFICE TRANSFER ARM ration of Illinois Original application October 25, 1934, Serial No. 749,946. Divided and this application May 13,

1935, Serial No. 21,284

10 Claims. (Cl. 214-17) This invention relates to electro-processing machines, and in particular to transfer devices for conveying the work-pieces over the partitions between the successive tanks of such machines.

One object of my invention is to provide an electro-processing machine of the traveling type, wherein the work carrier is moved by appropriate means, and transferred from tank to tank by a moving member which positively engages a portion of the carrier and causes it to lift the workpieces over the boundaries thereof, the contacting portions therebetween being adapted to maintain favorable angles of contact with one another regardless of whether the carrier arm is raised or lowered.

Another object is to provide a transfer mechanism for an electro-processing machine, wherein the carrier arms are moved in an orbital path and raised or lowered by movable transfer members operatedl in timed relationship therewith, the Ytransfer members having contact plates or shoes which are movably operated in such a manner as to offer them at the most suitable angle to the follower of the carrier arm, regardless of the position of the latter, whether raised or lowered.

This application is a division of my copending application, Ser. No. 749,946, filed October 25, 1934.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine embodying the transfer mechanism of my invention, showing the transfer member in `engagement with the carrier arm in a raised psition.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the transfer member shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, similar to Figure 1, but with the carrier arm in a lowered position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of a contact plate of the transfer member.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine in connection with which the transfer mechanism of my invention is illustrated, is provided with vertical uprights I, having longitudinal members 2 of channel section extending therealong. The details of the machine itself form no part of the present invention, hence, a diagrammatic representation thereof will suiiice.

The mechanism of the machine is `operated by a motor 3, supplied with a change speed gear box vfi, the whole being mounted upon a common base `5 resting, in turn, upon a platform 6 supported by longitudinal channel members 7. The latter are, in turn, supported by the frame cross members 8, and these in turn, are secured to the ver.- tical uprights l by the web portions 9 having boit holes I0 therein for the attachment of these members.

Also mounted upon the frame cross members 8, as by the bolts Il, are the base strips I2 having side arms I3 and I4 serving as guide members. Running in the inverted channelway formed by the members I2, I3 and I4 is an endless conveyor chain I5, which travels in an orbital path between sprockets (not shown), arranged at opposite ends of the machine. The details of these sprockets form no part of the present invention. The sprockets themselves are driven from the motor 3 through the change speed gear box 4 by other mechanism, not shown (Figure 1) The conveyor chain I5 is provided at intervals with the carrier supports I6 attached thereto as 'by the pins Il. The carrier supports are provided with projecting portions I8, which rest upon and slidably engage the guide rail I9- attached to the upper flanged portions of the frame side members 2, as by the bolts 20. The carrier supports I6 are also provided with a yoke portion 2| adapted to receive the shaft 22, upon which the work carrier 23 is pivotally mounted.

The work carrier 23 is roughly of bellcrank form and its lower arm 24 carries a follower in the form of a roller 25 at its extremity. The roller 25 is engaged by the remainder of the transfer mechanism, as .described below. The upper arm 26 of the work carrier 23 is provided with a hook portion 2l, from which the work-pieces 28 may be suspended either directly or from suitable holders mounted thereon. The upper arms 26 of the work carrier 23 are also provided with projecting portions 29. These serve to engage the cathode bar 30, carrying the negative electricity when the work carriers 23 are in their lowered positions, as when passing through the electro-processing tanks (Figure 3), o r positive electricity when the apparatus is used for anodic treatments. The cathode bar 3B is, in turn, mounted upon brackets 3I which are secured to the frame uprights I.

The frame uprights I are also provided with guide track .brackets 32 secured thereto, as by the bolts 33. Secured to the guide track brackets 32, as by the bolts 34, are guide tracks 35. These are shown as consisting of angle irons. In the lowered position of the work carriers 23 the rollers 25 thereof roll along the guide tracks 35. At its opposite .ends the machine is equipped with end guide rails (not shown), forming a continuation of the guide tracks 35 and interconnecting the runs thereof on opposite sides of the machine.

The transfer-actuating members which engage the work .carriers 23 through the rollers 25 are operated by mechanism driven from the line shaft running longitudinally through the frame, between the vertical uprights thereof (Figures 1 and 3). The line shaft 36 is driven by appropriate mechanism (not shown) from the motor 3, through the change speed gear box 4. The line shaft 36 is provide-d at suitable intervals With cams, generally designated 3'1. The latter are, in turn, engaged by the transfer-actuating mechanism, hereinafter described, and this as a consequence raises and lowers the work carriers 23 in response to the action of the cams 31 as driven by the shaft 36 from the motor 3.

The cams 3l consist of two main portions, namely, a cam hub 38 and a cam portion proper 39. The cam hub 38 is keyed to the shaft 36. The cam portion 39 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 36 and is held in adjustable engagement with the cam hub 38 by means of the bolts 40 passing through the arcuately slotted portions 4l of the former, and through the bores 42 of the latter. The outer cam portion 39 consists of an irregularly shaped body having a peripheral rim 43 with an outer contacting surface 44. The configuration of the rim 43 and the contact surface 44 may be of any suitable form, according to the motion it is desired to give to the transferactuating members.

Thus it will be seen from Figures 1 and 3 that the timing effect of the cam 3l may be altered by loosening the bolts 46 and rotating the cam portion 39 relatively to the cam hub 38. The bolts 43 may then be tightened, when the desired point has been reached and the desired timing accomplis'ned. In this manner slight changes in the timing of the machine may be brought about without ydisturbing the general setting of the mechanism.

The transfer mechanism operated by each cam 3l includes a transfer-actuating member, generally designated 45 and of approximate bellcrank form. The transfer-actuating members 45 are pivotally mounted upon the shafts 46, the latter in turn, being mounted in the yoke portions 4l of the brackets 43, secured to the longitudinal frame members 49 as by the bolts 49a. The frame members 49 are supported by the frame brackets 50, these being of substantially triangular shape and secured to the main frame uprights l. The transfer-actuating members 45, as previously stated, are of bellcrank form and are in double arrangement (Figure 3), the two arms 45 being pivotally mounted upon the common shaft 46 extending between them.

The lower` arm portion 5| of the transfer--actuating member 45 is provided with a contact roller 52 mounted upon the pin 53. Similarly, the upper arm 54 thereof carries a shaft 55, which pivotally supports the contact plate support 56, as by the arm 57 xedly secured thereto. The shaft 55 also carries a fixed link 58, secured thereto by any suitable means and provided at its opposite end with a pin 59 by which it is pivotally secured to the upper end of the connecting rod 6U. The lower end of the latter is pivotally mounted upon the pin 6l supported by the extended portionEZ of the bracket 48.

Also mounted upon the pins 53 are the pivot arms 63, whose opposite ends are provided with inwardly extending rollers 64. The latter engage the inner surfaces 65 of the cam rim portion 43. By this construction the Contact rollers 52 are retained in engagement with the outer surfaces 44 of the cam rim portions 43. Each contact plate supportV is provided with a contactplate 66, as

by bolts or screws through the holes 61 therein. These contact plates 66 serve the purpose of engaging the rollers 25 of the Work carrier arms 23 so as to raise and lower the latter according to the motion imparted to the transfer member 45 by the cam 3l.

Consequently, it will be observed that when the cam 3l is rotated by the shaft 36, the upper end 54 of the transfer-actuating member 45 will move in and out, carrying with it the contact plate support 56 and the contact plate 66 secured thereto. The latter will likewise force the roller 25 to move in or out, thereby causing the upper arms 26 of the Work carriers 23 to move up and down over the partitions between the various tanks. The work-pieces 28, suspended from the hook-shaped outer ends 2l of the work carriers 23, are thereby submerged in the various solutions and lifted from tank to tank in the desired manner.

The operation of the transfer mechanism of Imy invention has been described in connection with the construction of the component parts thereof. It will be seen that the action of the pivotally mounted contact plates 66, through the action of the connecting rods 66, will cause the roller 25 to be presented to the contact plates 66 at the most favorable angle, regardless of the relative positions between the various parts of the mechanism.

I desire to comprehend Within my invention such modifications as may be embraced within my claims and the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A transfer-actuating device for moving the work carrier of an electro-processing machine to lift the work-pieces over the tank boundaries thereof comprising a movable member, a relatively movable contact portion thereon adapted to engage said work carrier, and mechanism for moving said contact portion relatively to` said movable member, said mechanism being arranged to move said contact portion in successively nonparallel positions for maintaining a substantially constant angular relationship between said contact portion and said work carrier during the movement of said movable member.

2. A transfer-actuating device for moving the Work carrier of an electro-processing machine to lift the work-pieces over the tank boundaries thereof comprising a pivoted lever having angularly disposed arms, a relatively movable contact portion pivotally mounted upon one arm and adapted to engage said work carrier, and mechanism adapted automatically to move said contact portion in successively non-parallel positions for maintaining a substantially constant angular relationship between said contact portion and said work carrier, the actuation of said mechanism being controlled by the motion of said lever.

3. A transfer-actuating device for moving the Work carrier of an electro-processing machine to lift the work-pieces over the tank boundaries thereof comprising a pivoted lever having angularly disposed arms, a relatively movable contact portion pivotally mounted upon one arm and adapted to engage said Work carrier, and a link pivotally anchored at one end and pivotally connected at its other end to said contact portion to move said Contact portion relatively to its arm during the movement of said transfer member as a whole, the distance of separation of the pivots of said link differing from that of said lever, whereby to move said contact portion at a substantially constant angle to said transfer member.

4. In combination, a transfer-actuating device for moving the Work carrier of an electro-processing machine to lift the work-pieces over the tank boundaries thereof comprising a base, a lever pivotally mounted on said base, a movable face plate pivotally mounted on said lever, and link means pivotally interconnecting said face plate and said base, said link means being arranged to cause said face plate to move upwardly as said lever moves outwardly in lifting said work carrier.

5. In combination, a transfer-actuating device for moving the work carrier of an electro-processing machine to lift the work-pieces over the tank boundaries thereof comprising a base, a lever member pivotally mounted on said base, a movable face plate pivotally mounted on said lever member, and a link member pivotally interconnecting said face plate and said base, said link member being arranged to cause said face plate to move upwardly as said lever member moves outwardly in lifting said work carrier, the distance of said separation of the pivots of one of said members being greater than that of the other member.

6. A work-carrying and transfer unit for an electroprocessing machine comprising a frame, a vertically movable work carrier associated therewith, a transfer lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a movable face plate pivotally mounted on said lever, means on said work carrier for engaging said face plate, means to oscillate said lever, and mechanism interconnecting said face plate and said frame, said mechanism being arranged to move said-face plate relatively to said lever to maintain a substantially constant angle of engagement between said engaging means and said face plate during the oscillation of said lever.

7. A work-carrying and transferring unit for an electroprocessing machine comprising a frame, a vertically movable work carrier associated therewith, a transfer lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a movable face plate pivotally mounted on said lever, means on said work carrier for engaging said face plate, means to oscillate said lever, and link means interconnecting said face plate and said frame, said link means being arranged to move said face plate relatively to said lever to maintain a substantially constant angle of engagement between said engaging means and said face plate during the oscillation of said lever.

8. A work-carrying and transferring unit for an electroprocessing machine comprising a frame, a vertically movable work carrier associated therewith, a transfer lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a movable face plate pivotally mounted on said lever, means on said work carrier for engaging said face plate, means to oscillate said lever, link means pivotally interconnecting said face plate and said frame, said link means being arranged to move said face plate relatively to said lever to maintain a substantially constant angle of engagement between said engaging means and said face plate during the oscillation of said lever, the distance of separation of the pivots of said link means diifering from that of said lever.

9. A work-carrying and transferring unit for an electroprocessing machine comprising a frame, a vertically movable work carrier associated therewith, a transfer lever member pivotally mounted on said frame, a movable face plate pivotally mounted on said lever member, means on said work carrier for engaging said face plate, means to oscillate said lever member, and a link member interconnecting said face plate and said frame, said link member being arranged to move said face plate relatively to said lever member to maintain a substantially constant angle of engagement between said engaging means and said face plate during the oscillation of said lever member, the distance between the pivots of one of said members being greater than the distance between the pivots of the other of said members.

10. A transfer device for an electroprocessing machine comprising a base, a pair of spaced members pivotally mounted on said base, means interconnecting said members, a Contact portion pivotally mounted between said members, means for moving one of said members relatively to said base, and means interconnecting said contact portion and said base adapted to cause said contact portion to move independently of said spaced members during the motion thereof relative to said base.

CONSTANTINE G. MILLER. 

